INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Say what you will about Tito Ortiz, but the man knows how to spot a good career opportunity.

And that’s just what Ortiz (20-12-1) did this past Saturday, shortly after witnessing one-time opponent Ryan Bader (27-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) make quick work of Fedor Emelianenko to become Bellator’s first simultaneous two-division champ. (Via Twitter)

Speaking to reporters after the win at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Bader wouldn’t commit to any hard plans for his future. But, despite the fact he has both Bellator’s heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions at his disposal, he’s fine with the idea of getting a do-over with the man who brought on his second career loss.

In fact, though he did talk about Ortiz’s need to “prove himself” first, the newly-crowned champ-champ was rather enthusiastic when asked whether he’d be interested in it.

“Hell, yeah,” Bader told reporters after the Paramount and DAZN-streamed headliner. “After I won the title, I was bugging him. He was at the bar, we were both there, and I was like, ‘Hey, you coming back, you coming back?’ He’s like ‘I’m done, man. I’m done.’ So, yeah, that’d be fun. He has to come back and definitely prove himself. Obviously, that’s a fight I don’t dwell on. But a fight I want to get back, all my losses. It’d be a fun a fight.”

Bader and Ortiz met in the cage more than seven years ago, at UFC 132.  Ortiz was the winner of that, as we know, but their careers went on quite different paths afterward.

Ortiz lost his next three fights in the octagon before moving on to Bellator – where he went 3-1. After the last bout of this run, which ended with a swift submission win over Chael Sonnen (30-16-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), Ortiz announced his retirement.

That was halted this past November for a trilogy match with longtime rival Chuck Liddell. After winning it in quick first-round fashion, Ortiz said he was going back into retirement – but that didn’t keep him from plotting a rematch against Sonnen, who has, himself, called for a shot at Bader after Saturday’s win.

Bader has fought another 18 times after the loss to Ortiz. Those included a remarkable 10-3 stretch in the UFC and his current unbeaten five-fight Bellator run, which includes one 205-pound title defense and the title wins over Phil Davis and fellow heavyweight tournament finalist Emelianenko.

Although Bader has earned the right to call some shots, the fact Ortiz would be on his radar isn’t that surprising. Fighters do, after all, often wish to avenge career losses – and Bader had made that much clear after winning his first Bellator title in June of 2017.

“I would love it,” Bader said then. “I’m not a (expletive)-talking guy. I respect everyone in this sport. If I have to hear that name, and, ‘You’re pretty good – but you lost to Tito Ortiz back in 1994.’ That one I would like to get. If there’s one fight I would like to get back, it would be that one, for sure. I would love to fight him for sure. I’d put the belt on the line and everything if he wants to come in. That fight intrigues me.”

We’ll see how that one pans out. But for Ortiz to have any of this targeted fights at Bellator he would need, of course, a deal with the promotion. And, judging by president Scott Coker’s cautious response to Ortiz’s tweet, it might be a little early to get excited.

“We have not had those conversations,” Coker said. “George, his manager, has reached out and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s talk after this fight is over.’ But we’ll see – fighting Chael, he’s already done that. And to me, like, why would you want to rehash that?

“And retirement after retirement – but, you know, if he wanted to fight again would we fight him? I’m not sure. That’s something we would decide if the opportunity came our direction. But we’re not that far down the road.”

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